Campus Philly just concluded our first-ever JobFEST, a virtual job festival dedicated to helping students and recent grads land a job or internship in the Greater Philadelphia Region!
From March 1-10 our Instagram was a one-stop shop for getting the scoop on how to launch your career in our favorite city! We’re talking about story features from young Philly professionals, and tons of GIVEAWAYS—plus, our Job Board was flooded with brand-new job openings and internships in the Philly area!
Missed out on the virtual festival? Well, don’t fret: Here’s your recap of the 10-day experience.
Day 1
We kicked off day one with some advice from a current Philly intern who shared the best way to land an internship right now, along with what it’s like to work remotely.
Joe Fiorino is an External Reporting intern at UGI Corporation and a Business Administration major at Southern New Hampshire University.
“As a full time student athlete, I typically have a very busy schedule between class, practice, and games. From my first day on the job, UGI has been fully committed to working around my busy schedule to provide me with an opportunity to gain valuable experience in a corporate setting!”
Joe also shared that his favorite part about working at UGI is the flexibility that they offer!
Giveaway
We concluded day one with a giveaway-stage takeover from our favorite baseball team, the Phillies! One of our followers won a virtual coffee chat with Alissa Steele, Phillies Advertising Specialist.
I would say we knocked day one out of the park, wouldn’t you?!
Day 2
On day two, we heard our first “Philly Story” of the Fest from Miranda Raughley, who graduated from Arcadia University last year and has started her role as an Application Support Analyst at Office Practicum.
Our favorite part about Miranda’s story was that she used the Campus Philly Job Board to land this position—and it was her first job post-grad! She even shared what it was like to start a job in the midst of a pandemic. Check out the blog to read Miranda’s full story!
Interested in learning more about Office Practicum?! They’re hiring! Head to our Job Board now to see the full list of job opportunities—it’s all available for FREE!
Giveaway
The Campus Philly giveaway stage was LIVE on day two with an opportunity to win a virtual coffee chat with Vaughn Brown of Campbell’s Soup Company! You may remember Vaughn from a Campus Philly Conversation last fall. One lucky winner got the chance to ask Vaughn any questions about growing their professional network, building a virtual community, and so much more!
Day 3
Day three of JobFEST was another “Philly Story” feature packed with gems of advice from LaTosha Hill, Clarion University ‘15 graduate and Staff Accountant at ELAP Services. LaTosha shared with us what she loves about working at ELAP, along with what her day-to-day life is like at the company. Check out what she had to say.
“I can say a lot of great things about being employed here—but to keep it short and sweet: What I love most about working at ELAP is the appreciation they have for their employees. Here at ELAP, management does not focus or dwell on the amount of work needed to be done—the employees matter first. Our CEO is affable, knows your name, and cares how your day went!”
LaTosha went on to share how the employees are at the focal point of the company. ELAP even offers yoga sessions to employees—who doesn’t love a good mid-day stretch?!
Want to hear more about ELAP Services? Check out our FULL, curated list of job opportunities in & around the Greater Philadelphia Region on the Campus Philly Job Board!
Day 4
Our friends at Freedom Mortgage filled day four with so many exciting opportunities!
First, we got to connect with Eric Cathcart, a Loan Advisor and a Rutgers University graduate. Eric chatted with the Campus Philly team about his transition from college to corporate among some other cool topics.
“The Greater Philadelphia Region is near and dear to my heart. Having an opportunity with Freedom Mortgage to further my career while living close to family and friends is something that I can not put a price tag on! Freedom Mortgage made the transition from college to corporate seamless. Starting the First Flyer Career Development Program with peers who are in the same situation as you is extremely helpful—it supplied me with all the support that I needed to be successful in my role!
My advice to job-seekers would be to stay positive! Rejections can sting in the short-term, but persevering through adversity and maintaining a positive mindset will land you where you are supposed to be going forward.”
Giveaway
To top it off, Freedom Mortgage gave students the opportunity to win a virtual Lunch and Learn! We’re talking about a one-on-one chat to learn more about the First Flyer Career Development Program, tips on how to grow your network, and more. Plus, they made sure lunch was covered!
Psst! Guess what?! One of Philly’s coolest companies is hiring! Apply now for the Mortgage Sales Development Program at Freedom Mortgage, a customer-focused, inside sales position within the Call Center. Check out the Job Board for more details.
Day 5
Halfway through JobFEST, we featured a Career Talk with a few members of the Sales Development team at Energage. They shared some advice on how to interview for your dream career, utilize connections in your college network, and find a company who’s morals align with your own. Whew! So many great topics in one place! Check out the full IGTV on our Instagram.
Giveaway
The fun didn’t stop there: Engerage also gave away a virtual Lunch and Learn to one of our followers! The company is on a mission to help leaders make a valuable impact on workplace culture, the working lives of employees, and society overall. The Lunch & Learn was an awesome way for the chosen student to learn more about the company and what it’s like to start a career in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Day 6
On day six we got to hear some advice from a current Philly intern about their experience at CSL Behring: Zachary Kaczor, Information Systems major at Drexel University and current Web Developer/Analyst intern at the company!
“My favorite part about my internship at CSL Behring is that I have a direct impact on the company. It’s such a gratifying feeling seeing projects I’ve led or worked on “go live” where the public can interact and view them. I know that every contribution I make helps patients around the world get the information they need and that makes it all worth the effort. I love working at CSL Behring!”
Learn more about CSL Behring and their impact on our completely FREE Job Board.
Day 7
With only four days left in the festival, we had to share another cool Philly Story! Jess Tang is a Software Developer in the Technology Leadership Program at Vanguard. We connected with Jess to chat about life at Vanguard, and hear why she loves her job!
“I love my job as a Software Developer! Everyone shares the same vision. Here at Vanguard, everyone is dedicated to the company mission: Giving our investors the best chance for success!”
Oh! By the way, Vanguard is HIRING! Apply now for open roles at Vanguard on the Campus Philly Job Board.
Giveaway
We couldn’t let our first virtual festival go by without getting in on the fun!
Our giveaway on day seven was the opportunity to attend a Lunch and Learn with our team! That’s right, one student won the chance to learn about what happens behind the scenes at Campus Philly. As you may know, Campus Philly’s mission is to fuel inclusive economic growth by empowering diverse college students and recent graduates to explore, live and work in Greater Philadelphia.
What better way to show that than (virtually) over a free and delicious lunch with our team?
Day 8
For day eight, we headed back to the Career Talks stage and got the chance to hear from the team at Draft Studios, a Coded By Kids program.
Destiny Simmons, UI/UX Designer at Coded By Kids and a graduate of Hussain College shared how their role is more than just design. They have a blast being able to include marketing, development, and service design in their job as well.
David Castellanos, Junior Web Developer at Draft Studios and a student at Drexel shared how he loved the mission that Coded by Kids is built on and how the team is dedicated to helping the next generation! Check out the full video on our IG!
Giveaway
That’s not it: Day eight also included a giveaway from Sabre Systems!
Sabre Systems provides cost-effective services and solutions to give their clients a decisive edge. The Sabre team firmly believes that making customers successful is the best way to establish their reputation as an effective and trustworthy company.
One of our lucky followers won a virtual coffee chat with Sabre Systems, and of course the coffee was free!
Day 9
The second to last day of JobFEST featured an internship spotlight with Evan Kliman, current Drexel student and incoming intern at FS Investments. Hear from Evan about landing an internship this spring and thriving in Philly—even during a pandemic!
“Now, more than ever, connections and networking are essential. Working remotely is obviously different, but with the right communication and teamwork, collaboration can still prevail!
My favorite thing about being a college student in Philadelphia is the community—Philadelphia is a vibrant community that is comprised of diverse neighborhoods, great sports teams and top-rated parks, and great food, all supported by innovative and growing businesses that continue to foster growth in the region!
This coming Spring, I will begin my third and final co-op at FS Investments in Philadelphia, PA. During this co-op I will be working in an Investment Management role. I am eager to jump in, start learning, and begin this new chapter with such an incredible company!”
Giveaway
Day nine concluded with a giveaway from our friends at URBN! Coffee, anyone?!
That’s right! A student won the chance to chat and sip with Emily Gross from the URBN Community to hear exclusive details on the current internships they offer!
Are you interested in working at URBN? We thought you might be. Make sure you check out their open positions posted on our Job Board!
Day 10
On the FINAL day of Campus Philly’s first-ever virtual job festival, we ended with a feature on the Philly Stories stage, where students heard from a young Philly professional who launched their career right here in the region!
D’Andre Pollard is a Villanova graduate and Member Services Intake Specialist at ELAP Services. We connected with D’Andre to chat about how he landed his job, and to hear a little bit about what it’s like to work on the ELAP team.
“One fun fact about my job is that we have monthly, virtual scavenger hunts! Here at ELAP, we even play Team Trivia during our department meetings to keep things lively and fun.”
C’mon, who doesn’t love trivia at work?!
JobFEST was a blast! We chatted with some of our favorite companies in the area, gave away lots of free coffee and virtual Lunch and Learns, and even got the chance to connect with some really cool Philly professionals and hear about their roles.
Missed out? You can find more information about all the companies listed above (and more) on our FREE Job Board! Also, make sure to check out all of the action from the festival on our Instagram!
Until next year, JobFEST. We miss you already.
